Senior veteran guard Alex Marotta savings the ball on the endline.

Guard Alex Wentzell getting the shot off over the defender.

The Machias Memorial High School varsity boys basketball team hopes to advance to the preliminary playoffs after their final home game in Machias on Tuesday, Feb. 5. Pick up our next issue dated Feb. 14 for our annual local basketball insert for all the local pre-playoffs basketball news. Front row from left to right: Jordan Grant, Noah Albert, Alex Wentzell, Dallas Moody, Reece Alley, Alex Marotta, Mark Merserean. Back row from left to right: Coach Jimmy Getchell, Jacob Holland, Evan Dray, Russell Hanscom, Alex Look, Tyler Wentzell, Josh Archer, Carl Bragg, Dustin Getchell.

by Phil Stuart

For many years, Machias High School and Van Buren High School stood alone as the dominant teams in Eastern Maine Class D boys’ soccer.

Van Buren fell first and several years later Machias followed suit giving way to Bangor Christian who has had an incredible run over the last decade.

Since 1965, the Machias program has been the class of boys’ soccer in Washington County and have way more games, more conference championships and more trips to the state title game than any other school.

Andon Wood gets a step on a defender at UMM.

Alex Wentzell brings the fast break down the court for Machias.

Machias Bulldog Tyler Wentzell positions himself for the rebound.